Here are the Big Country volleyball playoff pairings, results (through Nov. 3):
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Big Country Preps Girls Basketball Position Rankings: Guards
With the girls basketball season getting underway this week, it’s time to take a look at the local and area players who will be making the biggest impact for their teams over the next few months.
For the first installment in a three-part series that will cover all positions, we’ll be focusing on the Big Country’s top guards, ranking our top 15 with a list of others to watch for the 2026-27 season.
We hope you enjoy reading through our selections.
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MIKE LEE’S WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Former Brownwood lineman Isaac Gray blocking for No. 2-ranked football team
Note: If you know of a former Big Country Prep athlete now performing in college or professional sports, contact Mike Lee at michaellee7@att.net.
Of all the 2022-23 Brownwood ISD signees in multiple sports, Isaac Gray quietly seemed the happiest with his decision to sign with the little-known — at least around Brownwood — NCAA Division II Hardin University Bisons football team.
Gray was a 275-pound lineman, and Harding — located in Searcy, Ark. — was known for its running game. Offensive linemen are rarely asked their preferences, but they prefer to fire out, hit a defender and drive them backwards. Passing offenses popular today ask linemen to stand up, step back and play from almost a retreating position or posture.
Gray played in 29 games but just seven starts during the last three seasons for Harding. A career interior lineman, he even spent the 2025 season as a blocking tight end.
But this season, Gray has started all nine games as an interior lineman for Harding, a recent NCAA Division II football power that is 9-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally.
FEATURE: Brooklyn Bird beat medical odds to become Eastland’s No. 2 runner at regional
Photos contributed by Lee Lewis and Brooklyn Bird
The accomplishment of being the No. 43 overall finisher – and No. 2 on her team – out of 221 runners at last week’s regional cross country meet hardly tells the story of Brooklyn Bird’s comeback.
The first sign that something was wrong came near the end of the 2025 cross country season, when Bird couldn’t finish her daily workouts at Eastland High School. A December doctor’s visit led to a January diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
LCH is a rare disorder, affecting 1 in 250,000 children in the United States. LCH commonly targets the skeletal system with destructive lesions. In Bird’s case, LCH formed a lytic lesion on her skull. She required a surgical procedure to remove the mass and clean out the affected bone.
GAME REPORT: Wylie volleyball dominant in area-round sweep of El Paso Del Valle
MONAHANS — The Wylie volleyball team’s drive to its area-round matchup against El Paso Del Valle lasted far longer than the match itself, as the seventh-ranked Lady Bulldogs cruised past the Lady Conquistadores for a 25-11, 25-11, 25-12 sweep on Monday to earn a trip to the Region I-5A Division II semifinals.
The victory was the 20th in a row for Wylie, which opened the playoffs last week with a sweep of Wolfforth Frenship.
With Monday’s outcome, the Lady Bulldogs (36-4 overall) advance to take on the winner of Tuesday’s match between No. 6 Fort Worth Eagle Mountain (34-7) and No. 12 Joshua (32-6) later this week at a time, date and place to be determined.
GAME STORY: Wall volleyball continues torrid pace in area-round sweep of Tolar
CLYDE — The Wall volleyball team entered Monday night’s Region I-3A Division II area-round playoff matchup at Bulldog Gym riding a 39-set winning streak as part of a string of 15 consecutive match wins.
In front of a raucous crowd, the Lady Hawks showed why they’re a favorite to claim the regional championship and a serious state champion contender with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-10 sweep of Tolar.
Lady Hawks coach Kimberly Branch said it would be impossible to single out any particular player from the match — and the current winning streak as a whole — because of the team-first mentality the squad has embraced since being swept by Boyd in the 2025 state semifinals.
SIX-MAN REWIND: Several district championship races decided during eventful Week 10 slate
Believe it or not, we’re nearing the end of the regular season, and the six-man playoff picture continues to take shape across the Big Country Preps coverage area.
Week 10 certainly helped clear things up in a number of districts, which saw de facto district championship games played in the penultimate week of the regular season.
As is custom each week here in our “Six-Man Rewind” column, it’s time to take a look at the team and individual performances that made the biggest impact on the area six-man scene. We hope you enjoy this look back at the week that was, and encourage you to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page for more information on your favorite team(s).
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Connally edges out Frazier for top spot
You know a weekly award is tough to come by when you need a 166.0 quarterback rating to edge out your closest competitor.
Glen Rose junior Judd Connally has taken the Big Country Preps Player of the Week award after hitting 13 of 15 passes for 219 yards and six touchdowns in last week’s 78-8 rout of a 6-3 Kemp team.
WEEK 11 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s 11-man winners!
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area football teams. The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 5 p.m. each Thursday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.
Here are the games for Week 11:
Continue reading “WEEK 11 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s 11-man winners!”
DISTRICT 8-2A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Mart, Wortham pick up victories; Santo has last game wiped out in forfeit
Mart 61, Hubbard 6 — Demorris Rhodes ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a blowout win over the Jaguars.
Octavious Gillaspy added 113 yards and one TD passing and 52 yards and two scores rushing for Mart (4-5, 3-2), which also got productive days from Orlando Preston (2-74, 1 TD rushing) and Tyson Kilbride (3-86, 1 TD receiving).
DISTRICT 7-2A DI WEEK 10 REPORT: Mason routs Brady; Johnson City rallies past Coleman; San Saba topples Bangs
Mason 48, Brady 0 — The Punchers dominated the Bulldogs from the outset, racing out to a 34-0 halftime lead on their way to a shutout victory.
Mason stayed perfect both for the season (9-0) and in district play (4-0) with the victory heading into next week’s regular-season finale at Coleman.
DISTRICT 4-2A DI WEEK 10 REPORT: Sonora wins thriller over Ballinger; Christoval upends Forsan
Sonora 42, Ballinger 41 — Aaron Segura passed for 572 yards and four touchdowns, hitting Wyatt Killough 11 times for 255 yards and three of those scores, to lead the Broncos to a huge win over the Bearcats in a battle of the district’s top two teams.
Fernando Arredondo and Evan Arredondo also went over the 100-yard receiving mark for Sonora (8-1, 5-0), which raced out to a 28-7 second-quarter lead before holding off Ballinger the rest of the way.
DISTRICT 5-3A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Hamilton knocks off Millsap; Tolar can’t keep pace with Clifton
Hamilton 34, Millsap 21 — Oliver Summers passed for 259 yards and two touchdowns, hitting Madden Weaver for 183 yards and both of those scores, in a key district win over the league-leading Bulldogs.
Ricky Shank added 150 yards and a TD rushing for Hamilton (5-4, 4-2), which outgained Millsap 511-392 and cruised to a 28-6 lead by halftime.
DISTRICT 3-2A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Roscoe defeats Tahoka to stay in title hunt
Roscoe 26, Tahoka 6 — The Plowboys (4-5, 3-1)threw a wrench into the machinery by knocking off Tahoka and forcing a three-way tie for first place in the district standings.
Roscoe will close the regular season against Crosbyton (2-6, 1-3) next week with a renewed shot at winning district.
DISTRICT 5-4A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Glen Rose the only active team in Week 10
Glen Rose 78, Kemp 8 — Judd Connally threw for 381 yards and six TDs and Thomas Littlejohn rushed for 81 yards and two TDs to lift the Tigers in a rout of Kemp.
Glen Rose (6-3, 2-0) locked up the district title with the win. The Tigers will close their regular season with Venus (0-9, 0-2) next week.
DISTRICT 13-4A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Brownwood, Salado, La Vega all win
Brownwood 66, Waco Connally 7 — Ezra House rushed for 171 yards and two scores and Trent Buffington rushed for 111 yards and three more TDs to lead Brownwood (4-5, 2-2) to a blowout win over Waco Connally.
Brownwood raced out to a 29-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and had extended that advantage to 53-0 by the break. Connally fell to 0-9 and 0-4.
DISTRICT 12-4A DI WEEK 10 REPORT: Stephenville, Jarrell, Lampasas score wins
Stephenville 51, Burnet 14 — Trot Jordan threw for 313 yards and five scores and Caleb Gleason rushed for 155 yards and another TD to lead top-ranked Stephenville in a rout of Burnet.
The Yellow Jackets have already clinched the district title and will finish their regular season on Friday at Marble Falls.
Limited to 169 total yards, Burnet fell to 1-8 and 1-3.
DISTRICT 3-3A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Stanton blasts Crane; Coahoma eases past Grape Creek
Stanton 48, Crane 6 — Karter Barrera ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns, Hagan Hale rushed for 142 yards and Nicholas Isemann amassed 109 yards and a TD on the ground to fuel the Buffaloes to a lopsided win over the Golden Cranes.
Stanton (5-4, 4-0) ran for 467 yards as a team, getting 53 yards and a score from Vayden Pastrana, while Jayden Hinojosa threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Bradyn Garcia on the Buffs’ only pass attempt of the game.
DISTRICT 6-2A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Haskell, sets up No. 2 seed showdown with Seymour
Haskell 72, Archer City 12 — Haskell set up a winner-take-all game for the No. 2 seed with Seymour next Friday with this win over Archer City.
In the process, the Indians (6-3, 4-1) recovered nicely from their 72-34 loss to Windthorst on Oct. 23.
Archer City fell to 1-8 and 0-5.
DISTRICT 3-3A DI WEEK 10 REPORT: Early scores huge win at Ingram Moore; Wall takes week off
Early 28, Ingram Moore 21 — Caden Wilson ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while Isaac Ybarra added 101 yards and a score on the ground to help the Longhorns to a huge win over the Warriors.
Wilson added 95 yards passing for Early (7-2, 2-1), which outscored Moore 21-7 in the second half to rally for the win.
DISTRICT 4-4A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Mineral Wells runs over Burkburnett; Brock thumps Graham
Mineral Wells 41, Burkburnett 21 — Jordan Johnson ran for 242 yards and three touchdowns, and Slade Evans added 101 yards and one TD rushing and a 6-yard scoring reception to help the Rams to a comfortable win over the Bulldogs.
Mineral Wells (8-1, 3-1), which trailed 28-7 by halftime, outgained Burkburnett 469-306, outrushing the Bulldogs 388-112. Javon Johnson added 81 yards and a TD on 5-of-6 passing to provide some balance to— the Rams attack.
DISTRICT 2-4A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Big Spring picks up huge win over Fort Stockton; Snyder rolled by Seminole
Big Spring 25, Fort Stockton 14 — Javon Jackson ran for 163 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Steers to a win over the Panthers, putting Big Spring back in the playoff hunt in the process.
The Steers, who ran for 264 of their 284 total yards, also got 78 yards rushing from Jaylen Cooper to stretch a 14-7 lead to two scores in the second half.
DISTRICT 4-3A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Merkel, Jacksboro, Henrietta notch wins
Merkel 14, Breckenridge 6 — Easton Malone rushed for 139 yards and two TDs to help Merkel to a tough win at Breckenridge.
With the win Merkel (6-3, 3-1) can lock up a No. 2 seed with a win over Holliday (3-6, 3-1) next week.
DISTRICT 2-3A DI WEEK 10 REPORT: Sweetwater, Clyde set up title showdown
Sweetwater 62, Kermit 7 — Caiden Ortiz threw for 98 yards and four scores and Kayden McCann rushed for 71 yards and two more TDs as the Mustangs routed Kermit.
This sets up a winner-take-all district title game between Sweetwater and Clyde next week.
DISTRICT 5-2A DI WEEK 10 REPORT: De Leon, Cisco set up district title game
De Leon 68, Abilene TLCA 0 — De Leon (8-1, 4-0) rushed for 408 yards and six TDs through eight different ball carriers in a win over TLCA.
Lane Couch led that group with 115 yards and two TDs on four carries. Hud Price added 146 yards passing and two more TDs.
TLCA (2-7, 0-4) was limited to 80 yards in total offense.
DISTRICT 7-2A DII WEEK 10 REPORT: Albany, Cross Plains, Goldthwaite notch wins
Albany 56, Miles 7 — Clay Chapman threw for 189 yards and four scores and rushed for 67 yards and three more TDs to lift Albany to a win over Miles.
The Lions (6-3, 3-2) locked up the No. 3 seed with the win. Miles dropped to 4-5 and 2-3 but can earn a No. 4 seed with a win over Cross Plains next week.
GAME REPORT: Wylie shuts out Wichita Falls Legacy in second half to pull away for 41-16 win
WICHITA FALLS — Needing a road win over Wichita Falls Legacy to stay in line for District 2-5A Division II’s No. 2 spot and a home playoff game, the Wylie football team came through with a comfortable 41-16 win over the Leopards on Friday at Memorial Stadium.
The Bulldogs never trailed in the ballgame, outscoring Legacy 20-0 in the second half after the Leopards had pulled within 21-16 late in the second quarter.
The win sets up a huge home matchup with crosstown rival Cooper next week as the two teams with identical records — 6-3 overall and 4-1 in league play — will battle it out with the winner hosting a postseason game and the loser heading to El Paso for the first round of the playoffs.
GAME REPORT: Abilene High rallies past Amarillo Tascosa 28-21 to keep home playoff game within grasp
Photos by Marlee McDonald, PressPassSports.com
AMARILLO — Amarillo Tascosa outgained Abilene High 412-306 Friday night and held a 21-14 lead heading into the final quarter in a key District 2-5A Division I matchup at Dick Bivins Stadium.
But bowied by a 5-0 advantage in the turnover margin and enough big plays at key times to give themselves a chance, the Eagles rallied for a 28-21 win to keep their hopes of a home playoff game alive.
The hard-fought victory improved AHS to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in league play with another pivotal game ahead next week, when the Eagles close out their regular season with a home test against Wolfforth Frenship (5-4, 4-2).
GAME STORY: Cooper blasts Lubbock Coronado 48-7, avoids trap game on wet night
Hosting last-place Lubbock Coronado a week before a pivotal regular season-ending clash with crosstown rival Wylie, the Cooper football team sidestepped any potential traps on Friday, scoring the final 42 points in a thorough 48-7 victory at Shotwell Stadium.
A choppy start left the Cougars trailing 7-6 at the end of one quarter, but coach Scott Smith’s squad finished the half with 21 unanswered points to take control by the break on a rainy night in Abilene.
The victory improved CHS to 6-3 overall and kept the Coogs even with Wylie (also 6-3) at 4-1 in District 2-5A Division II play, setting up a huge matchup next week for the league’s second playoff seed and a home game in the postseason’s opening round. The loser will be take the No. 3 seed and have to travel to El Paso for its bi-district game.
GAME STORY: Frazier, defense lift No. 5 Brock to shocking 59-7 beatdown of eighth-ranked Graham
BROCK — Fifth-ranked Brock left zero questions who’s the best team in District 4-4A Division II after Friday night.
In what was supposed to be one of the top games in the state, the Eagles throttled No. 8 Graham 59-7 behind Holt Frazier’s five touchdown passes and a defense that bottled the Steers up after the opening drive.
A Brock win wasn’t going to raise eyebrows across the state, but how the Eagles whipped a quality opponent on Senior Night certainly did.
GAME STORY: San Saba holds off Bangs 20-13 for inside track to a No. 2 playoff seed
Action photos by Kayti Lackey
SAN SABA — To the victors went the spoils on Friday night at Rogan Field.
As is their habit after a big home football win, the San Saba Armadillos celebrated by dousing each other with water in the locker room. But on Friday, parents of the players were invited to join the celebration.
This was a special celebration since San Saba’s 20-13 win over the Bangs Dragons gave the Armadillos the inside track to the No. 2 playoff seed from District 7-2A Division I.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Goldthwaite rallies to beat Stamford, win district title
STAMFORD — To some, it may have resembled an old 1960s NFL game, with two teams caked in mud in appalling conditions. In reality, Friday’s Big Country Preps Game of the Week was a showdown for the District 7-2A DII title, with Goldthwaite and Stamford slugging it out at a soggy Bill Anderson Stadium.
Trailing 20-6 at the break, the Eagles rallied with 18 unanswered second-half points to lock up the district title with a thrilling 24-20 win.
Landry Sanderson rushed for 152 yards and one TD and Hayes Greenway rushed for 52 yards and two scores to lead Goldthwaite (10-0, 6-0), which will enjoy an open date in Week 11 as the rest of the league finishes their schedules.
Miles Follis led Stamford (6-3, 4-1) with 276 passing yards and three TDs.
GAME STORY: Merkel held to lowest point total of season but still clinches playoff berth with 14-6 win over Breckenridge
BRECKENRIDGE — Heading into the penultimate week of the regular season, there were four teams battling for the final two playoff spots out of District 4-3A Division II behind Jacksboro and Holliday.
The playoff picture became crystal clear on Friday as Merkel claimed a 14-6 win over Breckenridge at Buckaroo Stadium while Henrietta eliminated Wichita Falls City View from the postseason with a 60-0 win.
Friday’s win clinched a playoff berth for the Badgers, while setting up a win-or-go-home situation in the Breckenridge-Henrietta game next week. The winner between the Buckaroos and Bearcats will claim the fourth playoff spot in the district.
VIDEO: Abilene High coach Mike Fullen discusses road test at Amarillo Tascosa
ABILENE HIGH (5-3, 4-1) AT AMARILLO TASCOSA (5-3, 4-1)
7 p.m. Friday, Dick Bivins Stadium, Amarillo
VIDEO: Cooper coach Scott Stewart previews home game against Lubbock Coronado
LUBBOCK CORONADO (1-8, 0-5) AT COOPER (5-3, 3-1)
7 p.m. Friday, Shotwell Stadium, Abilene
VIDEO: Wylie coach Clay Martin breaks down road matchup with Wichita Falls Legacy
WYLIE (5-3, 3-1) AT WICHITA FALLS LEGACY (2-2)
7 p.m. Friday, Memorial Stadium, Wichita Falls
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 10)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-man games, in addition to the results of our weekly fan polls for each matchup.
Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Stamford hosts Goldthwaite in battle of 2A powerhouses (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country picks)
LAST WEEK: 59-4 .936
SEASON TOTAL: 460-110, .807
GOLDTHWAITE (9-0, 5-0) AT STAMFORD (6-2, 4-0)
Under normal circumstances, I’d be tempted to consider a possible upset in our Game of the Week and go with Stamford at home.
But the circumstances will be far from normal.
With heavy rain expected tomorrow night, Stamford’s Bill Anderson Stadium will likely see its grass field turn into a mud bath.
That favors unbeaten Goldthwaite and its power running game over the SHS aerial attack.
MIKE LEE’S WHERE ARE THEY NOW? How did twin athletes from Clyde end up in Kansas at Pittsburg State?
Note: If you know of a former Big Country Prep athlete now performing in college or professional sports, contact Mike Lee at michaellee7@att.net.
Twins Blake Carr in football and Abby Carr in volleyball enjoyed considerable success at Clyde High School before graduating in 2024. They both are continuing their athletic careers in Kansas.
Blake is a redshirt sophomore inside linebacker for the Pittsburg State football team. Abby is a redshirt sophomore setter on the Gorillas volleyball team. Located in Pittsburg, Kansas, Pittsburg State has an enrollment of about 5,500 students and fields an NCAA Division II athletics program.
Blake was primarily a quarterback for Clyde, passing and rushing for a combined 4,378 yards and 56 touchdowns as a senior in 2023. He made all-state and helped the Bulldogs to an 11-2 record.
FINAL AREA VOLLEYBALL STATISTICAL LEADERS FOR 2026
This is our final volleyball statistical leaders for the 2026 season.
This database has been continually updated for our subscribers throughout the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches. If your team is missing, please give your coach a friendly reminder to check their email and submit their stats. We’ll then add them to our final totals.